Abby embraced Ziva, as tears started to run down her cheeks.

"He's going to be ok, Ziva. Tony always pulls through".

Ziva pulled away in order to wipe her eyes and with the offered tissue from Abby."I know, Abby." She sniffed. It's not just Tony, I am worried about. It's the baby."

Abby shared Ziva's concern, and could feel her own eyes beginning to water as she looked towards her office at the perfectly wrapped gifts sitting on her table; the black and white polka-dotted bows against the bubblegum pink wrapping paper, just waiting to be opened.

"Any news?" Palmer asked as he poked his head into Abby's lab and slowly walked in, and observed the weary eyes of the two women. "Everything okay?"

Ziva blotted her eyes with her tissue, and turned to Palmer."No news yet, I was just getting ready to go over to the hospital to relieve McGee. Is Gibbs still down with Ducky?"

"Yeah, that's why I came up to see about any news. Gibbs seemed pretty pissed, and I didn't want to get in the way." Palmer rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed. "Let me know what you hear when you get there, we are all worried about Tony".

"Will do," Ziva replied as she buttoned her jacket. She traded glances with both Abby and Palmer before drawing in a deep breath. "I'll call when I get there".

48 hours earlier…

Tony DiNozzo sat at his desk staring at the small black and white photograph in his hands still in disbelief at what he saw. "Oh boy..." he said under his breath. He slid the photo back into his desk drawer just as McGee walked passed.

"Hey Tony, how you feeling?" Timothy asked as he opened up his laptop and switched it on.

Tony leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. "Oh you know…desk duty…its so thrilling…" he yawned. Tony ran his hand through his hair and sat up in his chair as the rest of the team returned to their desks from their outing. "How did it go, Boss?"

"Went fine, DiNozzo". He said without looking up from the report McGee had just handed him. "You find any information on the dead marine's killer yet?"

"No hits yet, sir" DiNozzo sighed. "Can't find anything, the guy was squeaky clean". He said as he let out another yawn.

Gibbs looked over at DiNozzo, as Tony drew in a deep breath and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "McGee!"

"Yeah, Boss" Timothy looked up alarmed.

"Are you DiNozzo's ride home tonight?"

"Yeah, I…"

"Well, get him home! I need fresh eyes on this case, and the only way I am getting that is if my agents get their rest. Gibbs slammed his empty coffee cup onto his desk and headed towards the elevator. " I need to see what Abby's got"

Tony, Ziva, and McGee traded confused glances. Tony turned his gaze off into the direction that Gibbs had disappeared, and was confused at the sudden change of discussion.

"Well, Tony. I guess I got to bring you home, you ready?" Timothy asked as he packed his laptop back into his bag, and looked towards Tony.

"Yeah…" Tony snapped out of his daze and grabbed his house keys out of the desk drawer. He drew in a deep breath as he placed his hands on either side of his chair and proceeded to push himself up and out of his chair. McGee stepped next to him and gave out his hand as a balance to help him up, and Tony reluctantly accepted. "Thanks…" he sighed.

Ziva stepped up and handed McGee, Tony's duffle. Then put her hand on Tony's cheek, which startled him at first. "Get some rest, Tony." She said as she slapped him lightly, and smirked.

Tony smirked back as he and McGee headed towards the elevator and out of the building.

Ziva entered the hospital room to find McGee sleeping in the chair next to Tony. She looked over to where Tony lay, still unconscious. He was hooked up to oxygen, and numerous monitoring machines, two in particular that Ziva was thankful to hear a rhythmic beeping from. She walked over to McGee and carefully woke him. McGee's head was still bandaged from his injury, and she didn't want to startle him.

"Hey sleepy head" she said as she gently nudged his shoulder.

"oh...hey, " McGee replied groggily. "I must have fallen asleep listening to all the beeping" he motioned towards the machines next to Tony.

"It's okay, McGee." She replied. "I am here now, so you can go home and get some rest".

McGee slowly got up, and grabbed his coat. He looked over towards Tony and squeezed his hand before turning to leave. "Thanks, Ziva. Please call if any.."

"I will Timothy, now go and get some rest." She said stopping McGee before he could finish. She watched him turn and walk down the hall towards the exit.

Ziva sighed and took her place by Tony's side. She leaned over to grab his hand and slightly squeeze it in her own. She placed her other hand on Tony's head and slowly brushed her hand through his hair, careful to avoid the small bandaged gash on his left temple.

"Oh Tony", She whispered as she placed a small kiss on his lips. "Please wake up."

Ziva sat in the chair next to Tony's bed and kept her hand on his. A nurse entered the room as she was about to call Abby with an update, and decided to wait to see what the nurse had to say.

Tony shifted with discomfort as he sat in the passenger seat of McGee's car. He hated not being able to drive himself home, and he really hated having to ride with slow-poke McGee.

"McGee, you can just drop me off in front, you don't have to drive around looking for a parking spot. I am capable of walking." He sighed as he watched them pass his car parked out in front of his building one more time.

"I know Tony, but it's snowy and icy out, and I don't want you to slip and fall. Besides, it's my turn to get you home tonight, and ever since those threat letters arrived at the office we should be extra careful."

Tony rolled his eyes as he shifted again in his seat. "That was weeks ago, McGee. There has never been a follow up or anything new about those letters.

"Well...you can never be too careful." McGee said as he pulled the car into a parking spot on the opposite side of the street from Tony's place.

Tony opened his door and used the door as support as he got out. McGee grabbed Tony's duffle and walked next to Tony for support, and let out a sigh.

"What's eating you McGee? You seem like you got something you need to get off your chest…" Tony paused in the middle of the snow covered sidewalk and nudged his fellow coworker.

Mcgee let out another sigh and looked over at DiNozzo. "What does it fell like, Tony?

Tony looked at McGee shocked for a few moments, and finally let out a nervous laugh. "Honestly, it's weird…Why so curious all of a sudden?" Tony tilted his head to the side as he tried to figure out McGee's sudden interest.

McGee shyly looked down at the snow on his boots and then finally back up at DiNozzo with a little apprehension in his eyes. "I…" he wavered.

Tony squinted his eyes as if studying McGee, and then suddenly looked at him with wide eyes. "No… are you kidding me, you're…"

Tony was suddenly interrupted by the sound of gunfire not too far from them. McGee dropped the duffle bag and placed his hand on his holster. He put his other hand on DiNozzo's shoulder with a little pressure signaling DiNozzo to get down.

Silence… The only sound the two agents could hear was the soft pit-pat of snowflakes falling around them. They stood there for a few moments in silence waiting to see if anything happened.

"Car backfire?" Tony asked questionably.

McGee removed his hand from his holster and turned to help Tony up. "I guess so, but that sounded really close, and there are no other cars on the road". He replied as he picked Tony's duffle back up, and the two men started back across the street.

"So…" Tony began. "You were about to say something just before…"

Tony was cut short by a car exploding just feet in front of them. Immediately Tony was thrown against the brick wall behind him and knocked unconscious. McGee was blasted down the road where he hit his head against the tire of a large sedan.

Timothy faded in an out of consciousness as the sound of sirens grew in the distance. He opened his eyes just long enough to see a young women running towards him, and then finally blacking out completely.

Tony laid against the brick wall his head bleeding down his temple; snow falling around him. The sounds of fire crackling and footsteps approaching came from around the corner. A young woman ran up to Tony and placed her hand over the wound on his head, a small gash from glass shrapnel from the car. Carefully she eased his body into a laying down position and looked over his body. She placed her head to his chest and listened for a heartbeat, and sighed when she found it. Though weak it was there. She removed her coat and placed it under his head. She unzipped Tony's coat and gently lifted his shirt. She could already see the bruising beginning to form on his ribs, but what concerned her was bruises beginning to form on the side of his abdomen. The young women gently touched the side of Tony's stomach and could feel the warmth radiating from him. Quickly she covered him back up, and kissed him on the forehead. She heard a moan from a few feet down the street, and ran towards where McGee lay in the snow. As she approached she noticed the blood on his forehead and quickly pulled the extra shirt she was wearing off and wrapped his head, leaving her in a tank top and jeans. The lights of emergency vehicles bounced off the building walls as they turned to onto the road. Fire men immediately began putting the car-fire out and EMTs ran towards McGee and DiNozzo. Soon a car came speeding up to the scene and out jumped Ziva and Gibbs. The young women who had aided the two men quickly slipped out of the light with her arms wrapped around her shoulders and snowflakes melting on her bare skin. As she slipped behind the ambulance and back towards the corner she had come from; she looked back for one more glance at DiNozzo as he was loaded into an ambulance. A tear fell down her cheek just as she caught the eye of Agent Gibbs, and then turned to disappear into the darkness.